Goran Suton played a major role in Michigan State's victory over Louisville in the Midwest Regional final. The senior tallied 19 points and 10 rebounds and hit several critical three-pointers in the first half.

INDIANAPOLIS  It was late in Michigan State's unlikely undressing of tournament top seed Louisville, and MSU coach Tom Izzo took a moment to scan the crowd behind his team's bench. He saw his wife and children, the rest of his extended family, and he saw Sparty's most famous alum, Magic Johnson, whooping it up as the coronation neared completion.

How good is life now if you're Izzo and the Final Four-bound Michigan State program?

You've beaten the unbeatable Louisville, eviscerated their press and their zone in a commanding 64-52 victory at Lucas Oil Stadium.

You've built a program where every single player who has remained four years has played in a Final Four. That group now includes seniors Goran Suton, Travis Walton, Marquise Gray and Ibong Ibok.

How's that for a recruiting tool?

You're heading back to a Final Four in Detroit, a longtime dream for so many of these homegrown players.

And, oh yes, you've made it darned near impossible for Kentucky to consider anybody else as their next head coach. If you're a member of the Big Blue Nation and you've just watched Izzo's team tear apart the reviled Rick Pitino, how can you consider another candidate?

Even Magic was wondering if this victory wasn't a double-edged sword.

"You're always worried about the money they are offering; you have to worry and every Michigan State fan has to be worried," Johnson said. "This is some serious business. The thing that Michigan State has going for him is that the state of Michigan high school basketball is so good and every player wants to come to Michigan State. If I were him, with the talent that he has coming back, I would stay. But that's just me being selfish."

The story of Izzo's future will continue to percolate at next week's Final Four in Detroit, and the rumors will hit warp speed in the days after it's over.

The story on this day, though, was the way Michigan State prepared for Louisville's press and zone and then dissected it with a surgeon's dexterity.

Michigan State's guards, particularly Kalin Lucas and Walton, had no problems beating the press. None. When the Cardinals played Arizona in the regional semifinal, it was like they had 10 players on the floor. Sunday, it seemed like they had three. Maybe it's the fact MSU sometimes practices five-on-seven, five-on-eight, just to prepare for this kind of moment. Having talent helps, too.

Then they tore up the zone the way all good, smart offensive teams beat the zone: They got the ball near the foul line and the elbow to center Goran Suton, who had the game of his life. Nineteen points. Ten rebounds. Four assists. He would get the ball in the soft middle of the zone, then either make his 15-foot jumper or pass to teammates on the wing.

He's a wonderful story, Suton, a native of Bosnia who grew up in the war-torn Balkans. He lived with Serbian bombs falling from dusk to dawn before his family moved to East Lansing. Sometimes Izzo tears out his hair waiting for Suton to play with the kind of passion he wants. But then he thinks about Suton's personal history, the old-man perspective he has at a very young age.

"I have a great appreciation for kids that have gone through a lot because when I'm trying to make basketball life and death, they kind of teach me a lesson more than I teach them one," Izzo said. "They've already seen life and death. Goran is a little more laid back than I'd like him to be, but at the same time he's been through a lot and understands what real trauma is, what really is important in life."

And then there was this: defense. Stifling, Big Ten-style man-to-man defense. Friday, Louisville scored 103 points. Sunday, they scored 52. In big games in every sport, defense still matters. The best job was done by Walton, a smaller defender who completely shut down Louisville's marvelous forward, Terrence Williams.

After the game, Pitino graciously acknowledged that Michigan State was the better team, but also wondered if his group struggled because they hadn't seen man-to-man in six, seven games.

Maybe that makes sense.

What makes better sense is, Michigan State just played exponentially better. They shot well. They defended. They outrebounded Louisville by 12. They got bravura performances from Suton, Lucas and Walton, and got huge contributions off the bench from Durrell Summers and Draymond Green.

Imagine.

This team barely beat Indiana.

So, then, can the Big Ten stop apologizing now for existing? Can we acknowledge that maybe, just maybe, this year's Big East isn't the greatest conference ever? And Spartans fans now wonder, what will Digger Phelps say about Michigan State after suggesting on ESPN that the Spartans didn't belong on the same court as Louisville?

Some of us (blush) picked Michigan State to reach the Final Four, but then jumped off the bus after watching Louisville dismantle Arizona. Not going to make that mistake again, even with the Spartans facing mighty Connecticut in the national semifinal.

To report corrections and clarifications, contact Reader Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.

Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more.